The invention relates to a method of and to an apparatus for manipulating webs of photographic material, and more particularly to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for splicing webs of photographic material end-to-end by means of uniting bands in the form of labels which are provided with encoded information. Still more particularly, the invention relates to a method of and to an apparatus for joining the webs end-to-end by means of labels and for applying decoded information to other objects, particularly to envelopes for exposed and developed photographic films and accompanying prints.
Published European patent application No. 0 212 134 discloses a method of joining webs of photographic material end-to-end by means of labels which are provided with encoded information denoting serial numbers or customer numbers. The labels are applied to the trailing ends of successive films of a long series of films and to the leaders of next-following films so that each label establishes a splice between the respective films. Information which is encoded on the labels is decoded subsequent to application of labels to the films, and the thus decoded information is transmitted to a printer or perforator which applies the same information to a customer envelope, namely an envelope which is to receive the respective film and the corresponding prints. The strip of coherent films which are joined by labels is transported through a developing machine and thereupon through a printer which makes reproductions of images of film frames on photographic paper. Such reproductions must be introduced into envelopes, together with the respective films. The application of decoded information to envelopes (normally again in encoded form) is intended to ensure that each envelope will receive a proper film and the corresponding prints.
As a rule, the labels are sealed to the films by heat. This creates problems because the encoded information is often distorted as a result of heating so that it cannot be readily decoded or is decoded in a misleading way. For example, the bars of a bar code are likely to be distorted to such an extent that the information cannot be decoded at all or, if decoded by a standard reader, the decoded information is misleading and can cause introduction of exposed and developed films and corresponding prints into wrong envelopes to be a cause of numerous customer complaints. Distortion of a single bar of a bar code can cause the application of an incorrect serial number, order number or customer number to an envelope with the aforedescribed consequences.
Monitoring of decoded information can result in detection of incorrect information on the envelopes. However, the steps of correcting the error are time-consuming and necessitate a lengthy interruption of the normally fully automated operation. The main reason is that the labels with distorted information thereon are already applied to the films and removal of labels with distorted information thereon is a time-consuming operation which often entails damage to the films. The removed label must be replaced with a fresh label which involves additional expenditures in time.